Hair 101 // Top Knot for long hair

Hey Kiddies! 

Well, here is my first hair tutorial, as promised.  I'm sorry about the quality of my pictures, and the switch between normal and lesser quality forward facing camera images. But I figured if I waited for "perfect" pictures, I'd just never get this post done.  Sooo...hopefully there will be improvements as more tutorials come.  Now...bring on the selfies!! :]

Start with combed, knot free hair.

Oops, I mean this is what I look like waking up and before I get ready for the day. Duuh.  

Here are the ingredients you will need. I just grabbed a handful of bobby pins for this picture so you wouldn't see the Altoid tin I keep them in that is dated for 2006, but I had to use more. Also, this would work with a sock or a bun maker, I won my bun maker at a bridal shower, and have been using that since because it's a bit lighter. 

Put your hair in a super high pony tail.  I usually use a comb to smooth out the back and top. You could probably go for a more messy look if you wanted to, but for now I'm hooked on the sleek look. 

Put your pony through your bun maker and let it rest at on your head.

An alternate way I've used before it putting the pony through the bun maker, but keep it at the tip of the pony.  Then you would roll it down towards your head, and the hair is suppose to wrap around the bun maker.  This way doesn't work as well for me because of how long my hair is (I think), and ends up a little more messy. But, if that's what you are looking for, maybe it would be the way for you.  You wouldn't have the ends to wrap around the base, you would just kinda stick bobby pins half in the bun and half in your head to secure it and keep it from wiggling around. The picture below is trying to demonstrate how you would roll the hair around the bun maker. That's a hard action to catch. :]

So back to the method we are ACTUALLY using.  Fan your hair out so it covers the bun maker. If your hair is long, you will become visually impaired so you will have to use your hands as feelers to make sure it's fully covered. I didn't take a picture of the back, but it should look similar to the front.

This is what your hair will look like once it is fanned out.  Doughnut style!

 Take your second hair tie and stretch it over your doughnut. 

 Eww weird eye. Anyways, there is your doughnut hair secured. 

Now. Here is where I always had trouble figuring out what to do with all this extra hair! It's kinda what steered me away from Top Knots. BUT. Here's the trick.  Separate the hair into 2 sections and wrap them in opposite directions, that way it won't be all bulky on one side, and then dwindles down to a tail on the other.  No one likes a lop-sided Top Knot. ;]

 So grab one section and twist, I usually twist in one direction, and see if it lays right, if not, I twist the other way.  Also, I don't twist it very tight at the thick part, just because that's my preference.

 The hair thins out at the ends of course, and those I keep twisting before I pin because it is easier to keep them tucked away.

Here is me inserting a bobby pin. Comment below if you need me to do a tutorial on this step... ;] 

You can sorta see my ends are 100% tucked away, but that's OK with the first section, because you will be twisting the second section right over it in a minute. Just make sure you pin them enough that it won't unroll and fall away from the doughnut. (See those fuzzy baby hairs at my hairline? We will take care of those later. I guess they could be done right after the pony tail step, but I forgot.)

Do the trial and error thing as far as which direction to twist for the leftover section, and start rappin' (imagine me launching into 16 bars here...) 

Again, you wanna twist the end a little extra to try to get all the pieces tucked away and bobby pinned. You might wanna be a little fussier with this one since there won't be any hair to cover it.  I usually try to tuck it under a fatter section before I pin.  

And now you check yo' self out, and see if you like it.  See how that section looks like it's not quite touching my head? I didn't like that, so I stuck a bobby pin in it and coaxed it to become one with my scalp. :] 

And there she is.  All doughnut-y in the middle, and tire-y around the edges.   

Here is the part where we tame those strays (the step I mentioned could be done after the ponytail). Grab your hairspray of choice, and spray. I also sometimes spray the doughnut part and  use my hands to smooth down with the shape to make sure through the day you don't grow some sprouts! 

You can use the back of your Husband's beard comb to smooth them...

...Or sometimes I find it easiest to spray and then just hold them down with my hand for  20 seconds or LONGER...JK.  Cue images of this video running through my head. :]

The end! Admire your top-of-the-day-to-ya Top Knot!  I feel kinda silly since it took me like 20-something selfies to explain this...but hey. Hopefully it's forever ingrained into your head now.   

Ta ta for now!